President Barack Obama may soon sign an Executive Order that forbids federal government employees from purchasing products manufactured by Apple Corp. on the grounds that the company sells ‘eco-hazard’ technology, according to an EPA certification program.

Republicans are critical of the ban, since US governmental officials would be required to purchase “made in South Korea” Samsung products instead.

Politico reports that, “the feds are thinking twice about buying Apple computers after the company announced plans to withdraw from an environmental rating system. Federal officials who focus on sustainability issues met Wednesday to discuss the question, according to a government source, and will seek a meeting with Apple soon.”

Apple decided last week to forbid using an environmental certification program, the Electronic Product Environment Assessment Tool operated by the Green Electronics Council, a Portland, Oregon-based NGO. EPEAT had been developed through a stakeholder process endorsed by the EPA.

According to Politico, “the EPEAT rating system is used to monitor a computer’s environmental impact throughout its lifecycle, including the end of its use. The program is used by governments, enterprise, universities, health care and other large institutions to make purchasing decisions.”

Apple executives are major donors to the President Barack Obama re-election campaign team.